Matt Disappears
by Emmint
Summary: A sequel to my previous Gunsmoke/NCIS story called Murder in Dodge City, hope you enjoy it. Matt Dillon is shot in Dodge City in 1878, he falls back against the back door of the Long Branch but ends up at the front door of the home of Leroy Jethro Gibbs near Washington DC in 2014
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Matt Disappears**

**Dodge City, Kansas, 1878**

Marshal Matt Dillon slipped down the stairs from Kitty's room early in the morning, he let himself out the back into the alley, Sam Noonan shook his head he was about to lock the door behind Matt when he heard a shot. Sam opened the door again Matt had disappeared but he should still be visible no man could move that quickly.

**Gibbs Residence, Norfolk, Virginia, 2014**

Matt had been knocked back by the force of the round hitting his left shoulder, he hit what he thought was the back door of the Long Branch and started sliding down to the ground. Gibbs opened his door and caught Matt as he fell.

"Matt!" Matt blinked at him.

"Gibbs, how..."

"I don't know, I do know that you need a doctor," Gibbs helped Matt to the sofa, he picked up his cell and called Ducky. "Ducky, need your help?"

"Where are you, Gibbs?"

"Home, it's Matt Dillon, he's been shot," Gibbs slapped a field dressing on Matt's shoulder.

"I'll be right over," half an hour later Ducky walked through the door carrying his medical bag, Matt was in and out of consciousness. Ducky got a syringe out and injected a local anaesthetic into Matt's shoulder.

"Ah! What was that?" Matt asked, glaring at Ducky.

"Just a localised painkiller," Ducky said, Matt blinked and lost consciousness again. "Gibbs, he's losing a lot of blood, he'll need a transfusion. One problem a civilian hospital how do we explain a man from the past and gunshot wounds have to be reported?"

"We take him to Bethesda, we can order them to keep it quiet. Tell them it's an NCIS case and he's the victim."

"What are you going to tell Leon?"

"The truth, that it's a one hundred and thirty six year old cold case. I'll just call the team," Gibbs phoned Tony on his cell. "Tony get the team together get them to my place."

"You hurt Gibbs?"

"No, but Matt Dillon is."

"Abby is going to have kittens, and Ziva will swoon with delight."

"I can't imagine a woman less inclined to swoon than Ziva."

"What about Ducky?"

"Ducky's already here but get Jimmy to bring the wagon."

"He's not..."

"No, get here as quick as you can," Matt moved gingerly on the sofa.

"Ducky, I can't feel my shoulder?"

"That's the injection I gave you, it'll keep the pain down," the team came in just then. "Gibbs, need a word with you," Gibbs and Ducky went into the kitchen. "We take him to hospital just a thought though can you imagine Matt in one of those skimpy hospital gowns?"

"No, and nothing I've got will fit him."

"When we get him to Bethesda I'll see if they can let him have scrubs instead," they returned to the living room.

"Everything ready?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes, Boss," the team answered.

"Let's go," Gibbs helped Matt up, letting him lean on his shoulder as they went out and got him into Ducky's van. The team piled into their cars and drove to Bethesda Naval Hospital.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Bethesda Naval Hospital**

The NCIS vehicles passed through the gates of Bethesda Naval Hospital and headed for the Emergency Rooms. The hospital actually took in the wounded and sick from all three branches of the military and their dependants. Orderlies took the gurney from Ducky's wagon wheeling it into the hospital, Matt tried to rise but they pressed him firmly back onto the gurney. "Matt, just let it happen, it's alright," Matt looked at Ducky and Gibbs, he lay still, he groaned the painkiller was wearing off.

"Gibbs, good to see you. What have you got for me?"

"Gunshot victim, name Matt Dillon, US Marshal for Dodge City. What I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room."

"Wait up there ... Matt Dillon as in Gunsmoke."

"Yes. Matt this is Doctor Brad Pitt," Matt nodded he noted that Doctor Pitt was completely different than Doc Adams. Doc Adams rarely smiled and Doc Pitt seemed to smile all the time. An orderly moved to undo Matt's gunbelt, he stopped him. "Matt they need to get you comfortable, want me to look after your gun?" Matt nodded and let the orderly continue, Gibbs took the gunbelt. Doctor Pitt probed the wound with his fingers.

"Ah! Don't do that!"

"Have you eaten anything within the last twelve hours," Matt looked like he thought that a stupid question.

"Yeah, Son of a Gun Stew," Doctor Pitt looked puzzled.

"What is that?"

"It's a beef stew," Gibbs said.

"Nurse, let's start a full blood works and X-rays, ASAP," Matt was even more puzzled. He certainly didn't like the idea of the nurse using a syringe on him.

"Matt, S.O.P., they need a little blood to make sure you get the correct blood type, in case they need to give you a transfusion." Matt grumbled a lot but allowed the nurse to take the vials of blood she needed. Now they wheeled him to and from X-ray and he waited watching as Doctor Pitt stuck the X-ray films up on the light box. Ducky joined Doctor Pitt.

"Bullet is lodged between the shoulder blade and the ball and socket joint. We'll get you down to surgical and fix that," Matt just stared up at the ceiling getting more and more confused.

"Gibbs, a word," Matt turned his head, looking at Leon Vance.

"Leon," Gibbs laid a great deal of emphasis on Vance's first name. "I'll be back shortly, Matt," he left the room.

"Who is he?"

"Do you remember my telling you about when we went back in time to Dodge City of Eighteen Seventy-Eight."

"Yes, I must admit I found it a little far-fetched."

"Well, it's true and that man in there is US Marshal Matthew Dillon. It looks like he was shot in Eighteen Seventy-Eight but ended up at my door in Twenty Fourteen."

"How are you going to get him back to Eighteen Seventy-Eight?"

"That's the Sixty-Four Thousand Dollar question. With us we helped solve a murder, it could be we are supposed to simply get him the treatment and find out who shot him and why."

"Treatment is covered, you stay here, I'll get Tony, Ziva and McGee to find out any information there is on the shooting," Abby came up to them.

"Is Matt alright?"

"He's fine they're going to operate soon to get the bullet out," Abby went in to Matt's room, she hugged him.

"Hey, Abby," Matt said, "mind my shoulder. You still like hugging people then."

"Miss, we've got to take him to surgery now," the orderlies wheeled him out and into the operating room. Matt just let it happen as they gave him a couple of injections and the mask came down. Four hours later they wheeled him back to his room, Gibbs and Abby watched over him. He stirred four hours later, pulling at the tube in his nose and the tubes from the blood and saline bags that connected him to the bed.

"Matt, it's alright, you need the blood," Gibbs pressed him back down to the bed.

"I don't think I want to stay here," Doctor Pitt came in.

"Gibbs. Mr Dillon you can go home tomorrow," Doctor Pitt removed the oxygen tube. "Try not to move about too much you need all that fluid and blood," Matt snorted but he was relieved that Doctor Pitt had removed that tube from his nose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Cold Investigation**

Gibbs stopped by Sears on the way to the hospital to get some fresh clothing for Matt, Doctor Pitt was examining Matt when Gibbs arrived, Doctor Pitt removed the cannulas. "Agent Gibbs. Mr Dillon, try not to move that shoulder too much. These pills will help with the pain, take two, three times a day, I'll leave you to get dressed," Gibbs handed the clothing to Matt together with his badge and gun belt.

"Didn't want the breakfast?"

"Have you seen what passes for breakfast?" Matt asked as he fastened his gun belt round his hips and pinned his badge to the shirt. Gibbs led Matt to his car and drove to NCIS headquarters in the Washington Navy Yard, before they entered the building Gibbs led Matt to the Marine mess.

"Good to see you, Gibbs, Semper Fi," the mess sergeant said.

"Oohrah, Matt needs breakfast, and we'll both have coffee. Make sure Matt's breakfast is substantial, will you?" The mess sergeant served up ham, eggs, biscuits with hot coffee.

"You want some coffee to go as well, Gibbs?"

"Might as well," Gibbs watched as Matt polished the breakfast off.

"Gibbs, you can bring him back anytime, nice to see someone who appreciates his food," Gibbs picked up both the paper cups of coffee and led Matt to the NCIS building, he handed one of the cups to Matt and took a sip from his cup, Matt took a sip and smiled. Gibbs led him to the lift and pushed the button to take them to the bullpen.

"Mr Dillon, I'm Leon Vance, the director of NCIS."

"Sir," Matt shook Vance's hand, he looked around the bullpen. Abby had come up from her lab, she rushed up to hug him careful to avoid his injured shoulder.

"Yay, Matt," he smiled Abby reminded him very much of Clarey Cotter, he wondered if Abby liked sleeping in trees.

"McGee, what have you got?" Gibbs asked, McGee tapped some keys on his computer, that brought up on the plasma a series of documents from the internet.

"The barkeep Sam, said he was locking up at the back of the Long Branch when he saw Matt on his rounds, they said goodnight, Sam was just about to lock the door when he heard the shot," McGee said. "He opened the door and Matt had vanished that was the last they saw you until you turned up six months later."

"Six months," Matt said, "did they get another marshal?"

"No, Festus, Newly and Quint covered for you, using Burke if necessary," Tony said.

"If anyone asked at the Long Branch no one would talk to them, they just gave them the silent treatment," Ziva said, "or they told them that anything Festus and Newly said was good enough for them and should be good enough for Hays."

"That doesn't come as a surprise, what does though is that Burke managed to keep quiet. Did they find out who shot me?"

"No, with no witnesses to the shooting and without you being their to point the finger, the evidence would have been too circumstantial. Did you see who shoot you?"

"Only a glimpse, barely long enough for me to remember him I know he's fair haired but the rest of him is hazy it was still dark so I couldn't tell you anything more about him. It would be my word against his not easy to prove either way."

"Do you remember when we came back in time," Matt nodded, "the day after we helped solve the murder of Ed Duncan, we left Dodge as soon as we got a mile from Dodge we came back to Twenty Fourteen," Gibbs said, Matt stared closely at a picture showing him with his twins and Mary, it was the words underneath that took him by surprise.

_'Marshal Matt Dillon, his wife Mary and twins Matt and Katherine.'_ Matt shook his head. "That's wrong, Mary was my foster daughter not my wife," Matt explained how the twins and Mary had come into his life. "Even now Mary doesn't talk much especially to strangers."

"I can alter that, Wikipedia, let's the public alter anything they think is wrong," McGee typed in the change to the caption. Matt smiled, he knew that of all the team, McGee had been the one to feel like a fish out of water.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Matt's Temporary Assignment**

Abby took Matt down to her lab, she turned the music down. "What is that?"

"One of my favorite groups, Android Lust!" Matt looked mystified. "It's a genre of music called heavy metal," Abby wrapped her arms round Matt, he was like Gibbs a solid presence, a man you could rely on no matter happened, but right now he was the one who needed help. "What are you going to do for the next six months?" Abby asked.

"Gibbs has offered me a bed, but I don't know what I can do in the meantime."

"Has Gibbs shown you his basement yet?" Matt shook his head. "He will, he spends most of his spare time down there," Gibbs had come down to the lab he stood watching as Abby hugged Matt, with Tony and McGee he sometimes found himself with feelings of jealousy, he didn't know if Abby knew just how much he loved her. With Matt it wasn't like that he recognized that Matt needed Abby's warmth, he realized that Matt loved Miss Kitty like he loved Abby.

* * *

A month after he arrived Matt, had had the stitches removed and his arm was out of the sling. Fully fit again, he felt bored just lounging around. "Matt," he looked round at Gibbs, "dinner," Gibbs placed the cartons of Mexican food on the low table.

"That's going to hit the spot," Gibbs grinned, they ate and had coffee, sitting back, his cell rang, he answered it.

"What have you got, Tony?"

"Navy Lieutenant, found dead on board the USN Seahawk."

"Get the team together."

"On it, Boss," Gibbs rested his head on the back of the sofa.

"Seems there's always something happening last thing at night," Gibbs said.

"Happens in my time too," Gibbs rose opening his gun box and fastening his SIG to his belt.

"What did Doctor Pitt say about your arm?"

"He said I can start using it again, why?"

"Leon said he saw you this morning, said you looked bored."

"I have a got a bit of cabin fever I suppose."

"Leon, said you need action. He's issued you with temporary ID, you can work for us for the next four months. Want to come with?" Matt didn't have to be asked twice, he rose and followed Gibbs, they drove to Norfolk Naval Base, Gibbs parked by the NCIS vehicles. Gibbs and Matt got out, Gibbs spotted Commander Veitch, they shook hands. "Commander Veitch, this is Matt Dillon," Veitch noted the Marshal's badge. "Matt's on temporary assignment with us," Matt smiled.

"Your people are on board already, I'd appreciate it if you cleared this up ASAP Seahawks due out on manoeuvres in a few days."

"Commander the investigation is barely begun and it will take as long as it takes presuming you want the right man in jail," Gibbs said, Matt followed him down the gangplank ducking as he went through the doorway.

"Commander Veitch puts me in mind of a rattler ready to strike." Gibbs smiled, the sailors laughed, the COB led them to where Ducky was examining the body.

"Hello, Matt, how's your shoulder?"

"Fine, Ducky, just fine."

"Gibbs, I don't think she was killed here? Too little blood for those wounds."

"COB, start a search, but you tell them not to touch anything when they find where the lieutenant was killed," Matt went with COB to help in the search.

"You been with NCIS long?" COB asked.

"Nope, it's a temporary assignment. I'll be with them about four months. Name's Matt Dillon."

"We'll head aft," Matt and COB moved aft scanning each compartment. "This is the last compartment, the aft torpedo room," they entered stacks of torpedos waiting use. Matt heard the whimpering first, he moved round the stack and found the girl, her uniform torn apart, blood everywhere, she too had been stabbed but she was alive.

"COB, have you got a doctor on board?"

"Aye, I'll go get him," COB left, he brought the Doctor and the NCIS team, Matt rose.

"Has she said anything, Matt?" Gibbs said.

"The lieutenant disturbed the man while he was attacking her."

"COB, better get Commander Veitch down here, he isn't going to like this," Gibbs said, Commander Veitch arrived in the torpedo room shortly.

"Damn, this is going to reflect badly on the Submarine Service, but more than that I don't like seeing women getting hurt," Matt scanned the floor noting tne footprints, he followed each set, one appeared to be going towards the rear, he followed them COB followed and opened the hatch to tube four.

"Out!" The ordinary seaman crawled out. "I'd dearly love to kill you now, but I value my career too much," Gibbs handcuffed him.

"Why?" Commander Veitch asked. "You could have had a fine career in the service? Get him out of my sight!" Gibbs handed the seaman to Tony while orderlies lifted the girl onto a gurney, wrapped in blankets.

"Petty Officer Sarah Walsh, she's a fine sailor," Captain Stevens said. "I just hope she wants to stay in the navy after this."

"Mr Dillon, thank you for your help," Commander Veitch said. "Agent Gibbs said this is your first case for NCIS?" Matt nodded, he left with Gibbs and the team, they returned to NCIS building in the Washington Navy Yard.

"Well that was one of the quickest cases I've ever known," McGee said.

"He probably didn't have time to do much else," Matt said, as they walked into the office.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**In this chapter I have constructed an alternative reason for Ziva's departure from NCIS and introduced Doctor Brad Pitt as a descendant of Doc Adams.**

**Chapter 5: Matt Goes Home**

Six months since he had crashed backwards into the door of Gibbs's residence, Matt sat at his desk going through a report he'd written for the case of a sailor who'd got high on PCP and shot his skipper and several other officers before being overpowered by marines. They had just found and followed the drug trail to its inevitable conclusion, Matt could see Gibbs and Vance talking on the mezzanine though he couldn't hear what they were saying. "Gibbs, Matt's worked out well as a temporary agent, it's almost a pity we can't keep him."

"He wants to go back, you see back in Eighteen Seventy-Eight he has a girl, Kitty Russell, she's a fine woman and she probably misses him not to mention his friends."

"You mean Doc and Festus," Gibbs nodded.

"Festus is his deputy, along with Quint Asper, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. Then there's his family, his twins Little Matt and Katherine and his foster daughter Mary."

"They must be missing him too," Vance said, Matt rose he placed the report on Gibbs's desk, he propped a hip on Ziva's desk.

"Want some coffee, Ziva?" Matt asked.

"Might as well do the coffee run," Ziva said.

"You two boys want coffee," Matt asked.

"Sure, Matt, thanks," McGee and Tony said. Matt signalled Gibbs who nodded, Gibbs watched Matt and Ziva leave. Matt and Ziva walked into the nearby Starbucks.

"Hello, Dillon, Ziva, the usual?"

"Yes, please," Matt said, Ziva was watching the goings on outside Starbucks, she watched as a car pulled up outside and four Middle Eastern men got out and walked away.

"Matt, down!" Ziva pulled him down, Marines in the store dived down too, dragging anyone near them to the ground as well, just as the car blew up, as they fell Matt and Ziva disappeared.

* * *

Hearing the explosion Tony and McGee jumped up and grabbed their gear. Gibbs ran down the stairs to the bullpen and grabbed his pack too. "McGee, get Ducky?"

"On it, Boss," McGee picked up the phone on his desk and pushed the button for autopsy. "Ducky, an explosion near Starbucks. Matt and Ziva were there on the Coffee run."

"Dear God, I'll bring Abby with us, she'll only worry otherwise."

"Ducky's bringing Abs with him, he thinks it might stop her worrying too much," the team raced to their vehicles, driving quickly to Starbucks.

"Oh, shit," Tony said, as they piled out, Gibbs grabbed a Gunnery Sergeant.

"Did you see Matt and Ziva?"

"Ziva pulled Matt to the floor, after that all hell broke loose. I haven't seen them since," McGee was tapping something into his phone, he smiled and showed it to Gibbs, it was a picture of Matt on Buck with Ziva riding a paint pony in Eighteen Seventy-Eight. The caption underneath read, _"US Marshal Matt Dillon with the first female Deputy US Marshal Ziva David."_

"Gibbs, what is it," Gibbs smiled at Ducky, Jimmy and Abby.

"It's okay, Matt's gone home Ziva's with him," the team almost visibly relaxed as they started the investigation.

**Dodge City, Kansas, 1878**

Matt and Ziva landed flat on their backs just north of Dodge City, Matt helped Ziva up he looked towards Dodge and saw Festus riding Ruth and leading Buck. "Matthew! I had a feelin' somethin' would happen this mornin' so's I brought ol' Buck out with me."

"Good," Matt mounted and offered his hand to Ziva she mounted behind him. "How is everybody?"

"They're jest fine, yer family, Ol' Doc and Miss Kitty bin missing you," Festus said.

"Ziva, how would you like to be a Deputy US Marshal?"

"I would love it," they rode at the canter into Dodge stopping at his office. A cowhand who had just come out of the Long Branch, grinned and ducked back inside.

"Doc, Miss Kitty, Matt's back," Miss Kitty ran to the marshal's office, she jumped into his arms, he staggered back.

"Hey, Kitty."

"Where the heck have you been?"

"In the future with Gibbs and the others," Matt told them what had happened to him. "Ziva came back with me, she's going to become a Deputy."

"Good for you, Ziva," Kitty hugged her.

"Well now, couldn't ask for a prettier Deputy Marshal," Doc said.

"Doc, I was treated by a Doctor Brad Pitt while he was examining my shoulder he told me about his grandfather, told me he was descended from Doctor Galen Adams of Dodge City."

"Well, I'll be don't that just beat all," Matt could see that the news just tickled Doc to death. "Must be a good doctor," Doc said.

"He sure is, just as good as you," Doc chuckled.

"I sure would have liked to meet him."

"Let's go to the Long Branch to celebrate," Kitty said they left the office and went to the saloon, cowhands soon crowded round pounding Matt on the back, whooping for joy. Dodge had just not been the same without him.

**The End**


End file.
